13 Times Brit Marling Made Black And White Look Like The Best Thing Ever

Most Hollywood fashion stars have some sort of easily identifiable style signature. For Diane Kruger, it’s couture looks few can pull off outside of the catwalk. In Lupita Nyong’o‘s case, it’s bold, bright color. And indie film sensation Brit Marling? Well, she can somehow make classic black and white look anything but boring.

To be sure, there’s a lot to love about Marling besides her style. The beautiful blonde actress, who turns 31 today, is a whip-smart Georgetown grad who turned down a job offer at Goldman Sachs to focus on her passion for film. She first caught the eye of the Sundance crowd back in 2011, when she co-wrote, co-produced and starred in two buzzworthy movies, Another Earth and Sound Of My Voice. Memorable roles in Arbitrage and The East followed—and Marling’s latest, I Origins, is currently out in limited release.

Whenever the star steps out to promote one of her films—or to appear at awards ceremonies, fashion shows or other press events—odds are strong that she’ll be dressed in some combination of timeless black and white. But she keeps the duo of hues feeling fresh by switching up her silhouettes; here a menswear-style pantsuit, there a pleated Grecian-style gown or ruffled mini. Either way, Marling certainly makes a compelling case for purging one’s closet of everything colorful and going back to basics. Click through above to check out birthday girl Brit Marling’s best-ever black and white outfits.